room, seated in a half-reclining position
like the others, in a well-padded chair, strapped tight.

Haines had remarked as he had supervised the strapping-in, "Nobody knows
whether this is going to be necessary. But we're taking no chances."
He'd gone to his quarters and done the same thing.

Lockhart watched the registering of the dials in front of him, waiting
for the load to build up. There was a muffled whine from overhead as the
generators built up current. Detmar called out a cryptic number every
few seconds and the colonel checked it. The two astronomers were idle,
watching their viewers. They'd made their calculations long before.

"Time," called out the colonel, pressing a button. A gong rang
throughout the quarters. He moved a lever slowly.

Burl waited for the surge of pressure he had read always occurred at
take-off. But there was no such pressure. He lay back in his seat,
gripping the arms. Gradually he became aware of a curious sensation. He
seemed to be getting lightheaded, and to tingle with unexpected energy.
He felt an impulse to giggle, and he kicked up his foot to find it
surprisingly agile. About him the others were stirring in their seats as
if caught by the same impulses.

Now he felt loose against his bonds and he became a little dizzy. There
was a pounding in his head as blood surged within him. His heart began
to beat heavily.

"We're losing weight," muttered Clyde from his chair, and Burl knew the
ship was tensing to take off.

The great generators were beginning to push against Earth's gravity
and, as their force moved upward to match Earth's, the weight of
everything in their sway decreased accordingly. Lockhart's first move
was simply that--to reduce the pull of Earth to zero.

In a few moments that point was accomplished. A state of weightlessness
was obtained within the _Magellan_. Those watching outside from bunkers
in the surrounding mountains saw the huge teardrop shiver and begin to
rise slowly above its cradle of girders. It floated gently upward,
moving slowly off as the force of Earth's centrifugal drive began to
manifest itself against the metal bubble's great mass.

Everyone on the crew had experienced zero gravity, either in the same
tests Burl had undergone or on actual satellite flights, and thus far,
no one was too uncomfortable. The entire structure of the ship quivered,
and Burl realized that the inner sphere which housed their air space was
hanging free on its gy